Small Scopes

Stargazing and the Solstice

The first day of summer is called the summer solstice, and although we don’t use standing stones and priests (the priests were replaced by astronomers) any more to foretell its arrival we still use the sun.

Our planet is tilted 23 1/2 degrees to a point in space called the North Celestial Pole. It is this tilt that is responsible for the seasons since at one point of Earth’s orbit the northern hemisphere is facing towards the sun and on the opposite side of its orbit it’s facing away.

When we view the rising sun at this time from Connecticut, we see our star rising further to the north as we approach the summer solstice. Since the sun rises further to the north, it is higher in the sky. This results in more direct rays, which gives us longer daylight hours and warmer temperatures.

Astronomically, summer begins when the sun’s vertical ray strikes 23 1/2 degrees north of the equator. This imaginary line of latitude is called the Tropic of Cancer.
If you were at this location during the summer solstice, the sun would be directly overhead at noon.

Naked-eye June planets

Mercury, the innermost planet in the solar system, will make a rare appearance in the west about an hour before sunset.

On June 20, the tiny planet reaches its highest point in the sky (called greatest eastern elongation), and this is the time to look for it. If you do plan to observe Mercury, the sky must be clear, and you will need an unobstructed view of the western sky.

The red planet Mars is still visible in the west just after sunset. The planet will move through the constellation of Cancer this month and on June 15th will be located in the Beehive star cluster (also called M-44).

This event will be quite an interesting sight in binoculars since the Beehive is one of the most beautiful star clusters in the sky. This star cluster is called the “Beehive” since stargazers of long ago compared the dozens of tightly packed visible stars to a swarm of bees flying around a hive.

If you do have binoculars, check it out. It’s easy to find, and worth the effort.
The ringed planet Saturn is also visible in the west, and although it is slowly fading in the sky, it is still a prominent object and a grand sight in a telescope of any size.
Jupiter, the largest planet in the solar system, will be located in the southern sky as soon as the sun sets, and excluding the moon, it will be the brightest object in the night sky.

On June 8, the moon will apparently pass close to Jupiter, and this will be a good time to locate the planet. Venus appears like a dazzling jewel in the eastern predawn sky and is located near the Pleiades star cluster, which is also known as the Seven Sisters.

The two together in the early morning make a wonderful sight when viewed with the naked eye or low-power, wide-angle binoculars.

June lunacy: the Strawberry Moon

Each full moon was given a name depending upon what was taking place at that time on the earth. The full moon in June was called the “Strawberry Moon” by the Algonquin Native Americans since the strawberry harvest took place only during this month.

The June moon was also called the “Rose Moon” by Europeans since June was a month when the roses began to bloom.

First Quarter Moon will take place on June 3 (this Saturday); Full Moon will be on June 11, Last Quarter June 18 and New Moon on June 25.

On June 22, the thin crescent moon will pass near the planet Venus in the early morning sky just before sunrise. This naked eye lunar-planetary alignment should be quite a beautiful sight. Don’t miss it!

posted by Tako John @ 7:23 PM